This is an analysis of the poem Xii: He Would Not Stay With Me And Who Can Wonder that begins with:

He would not stay for me, and who can wonder?
He would not stay for me to stand and gaze.... full text

Elements of the verse: questions and answers

The information we provided is prepared by means of a special computer program. Use the criteria sheet to understand greatest poems or improve your poetry analysis essay.

  • Rhyme scheme: abab
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 4,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 11111111110 1111110111 11011111010 1101110111
  • Amount of stanzas: 1
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 182
  • Average number of words per stanza: 39
  • Amount of lines: 4
  • Average number of symbols per line: 45 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 10
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, my are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word he is repeated.

If you write a school or university poetry essay, you should Include in your explanation of the poem:

  • summary of Xii: He Would Not Stay With Me And Who Can Wonder;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Alfred Edward Housman